VoiceAge Corporation

What VoiceAge Corporation does

VoiceAge Corporation is a privately held intellectual property licensing company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1999 as a spin-off from Université de Sherbrooke research, the company develops and commercializes speech and audio compression technologies based on its proprietary ACELP (Algebraic Code Excited Linear Prediction) platform. ACELP underpins a portfolio of codec products spanning 17 international telecommunication standards, including AMR-NB, AMR-WB, EVS, EVRC family codecs, MPEG-4 CELP, MPEG-H 3D Audio, USAC, xHE-AAC, G.729.1, G.711.1, and VMR-WB. VoiceAge holds more than 800 patents and patent applications, and the technology is deployed in over one billion mobile phones (93% of digital cellular phones worldwide) and 500+ million PCs.

VoiceAge operates a sales-led B2B licensing model targeting companies that manufacture, sell, or distribute products implementing standardized speech and audio codecs. Revenue is generated through (1) patent licensing to 55+ digital voice and audio communication companies, (2) codec adaptation and optimization services for custom environments and specific processors, and (3) compression technology R&D services. Pricing is quote-based and negotiated directly with the licensing team; no public pricing exists. The company is led by co-founders Laurent Amar (Co-President), Sylvain Desjardins (Chairman and Co-President), and Redwan Salami (VP R&D), with strategic investors including Sipro Lab Telecom, Nokia, and Université de Sherbrooke. In December 2018, VoiceAge entered a strategic transaction with Fortress Investment Group affiliates, assigning its EVS Patent Portfolio to VoiceAge EVS, LLC. The company is also an active contributor to 3GPP IVAS (Immersive Voice and Audio Services) standards development.

Name

VoiceAge Corporation

Legal name

VoiceAge Corporation

Website

https://voiceage.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VoiceAge Corporation is a Montreal-based IP licensing company that develops and licenses ACELP-based speech and audio compression codec technologies to handset, infrastructure, and consumer electronics manufacturers implementing 3GPP, ITU, and MPEG standards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Speech and Audio Compression IP / Codec Licensing

NAICS

Other Sound Recording Industries (512290), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

Speech Enhancement & Noise Suppression (AEC/NR) (HDAAAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Audio & Speech Analytics (call analytics, QA, insights) (HDAAAFAH)

Keywords

• Speech compression codecs
• Audio codec licensing
• Wideband voice coding
• Patent licensing services
• Digital audio compression

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Patent Licensing: Licensing intellectual properties to companies manufacturing, selling or distributing products implementing standardized codecs. Licensed to more than 55 digital voice and audio communication companies. Technologies embedded in millions of wireless and wireline electronic products sold annually.
2. Codec Solutions: Adapting existing codecs to custom environments, optimizing codecs for specific processors, and offering standard and proprietary codec solutions. Includes compression technology R&D services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

VoiceAge Corporation develops and licenses intellectual property for speech and audio compression technologies built around the ACELP (Algebraic Code Excited Linear Prediction) platform. The company licenses patents and delivers codec implementations to wireless handset and infrastructure manufacturers, VoIP and telephony service providers, streaming infrastructure firms, and consumer electronics makers. Its portfolio spans standards-compliant codecs such as AMR-WB, EVS, EVRC family, MPEG-4 CELP, MPEG-H 3D Audio, USAC, xHE-AAC, G.729.1, and G.711.1, alongside professional codec adaptation and optimization services.

Product overview

VoiceAge Corporation is an IP licensing company that develops and commercializes speech and audio compression technologies. The company's portfolio centers on the ACELP (Algebraic Code Excited Linear Prediction) technology platform, which serves as the foundation for all codec products. VoiceAge licenses intellectual property and provides codec implementations across multiple product families: AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate) codecs for GSM and wireless networks including AMR-NB and AMR-WB; EVRC family codecs for CDMA networks; EVS (Enhanced Voice Services) for 4G/LTE HD voice; MPEG-based codecs including MPEG-4 CELP, MPEG-H 3D Audio, USAC, and xHE-AAC; ITU standards including G.729.1 and G.711.1; and VMR-WB for cdma2000 networks. The company also offers legacy EFR codecs for GSM, TDMA, and PDC systems. VoiceAge's customers include manufacturers of handsets, infrastructure, streaming servers, media players, and consumer electronics who need licensing access to standardized codec patents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACELP Technology Platform Flagship ACELP (Algebraic Code Excited Linear Prediction) speech and audio compression technology platform, internationally recognized and adopted at 3GPP, 3GPP2, ITU, and ISO/MPEG standards; the foundation for all VoiceAge codec products.
• AMR-WB / G.722.2 Codec Adaptive Multi-Rate Wideband codec standardized by 3GPP and ITU-T for wideband speech, operating at nine bit rates from 6.6 to 23.85 kbps with 50-7000 Hz bandwidth; required codec for GSM and WCDMA networks for wideband speech and multimedia services.
• AMR-NB (AMR) Codec Adaptive Multi-Rate narrowband codec operating at eight bit rates (4.75-12.2 kbps); the mandatory 3GPP standard codec for narrowband speech and MMS over GSM and evolved GSM networks; deployed in 2 billion wireless handsets.
• EFR-GSM Codec Enhanced Full Rate GSM codec operating at 12.2 kbps; the most widely used codec worldwide, present in every GSM phone and the highest-quality mode in the AMR codec family.
• EFR-TDMA Codec Enhanced Full Rate TDMA narrowband speech codec providing toll quality speech at 7.4 kbps for North American TDMA systems.
• EFR-PDC Codec Enhanced Full Rate Personal Digital Cellular narrowband speech codec operating at 6.7 kbps for PDC systems used in Japan.
• AMR-WB+ Codec Extended AMR Wideband hi-fi audio codec developed jointly by Ericsson, Nokia, and VoiceAge, 3GPP-recommended for MMS, PSS, and MBMS services; supports mono at 6-36 kbps and stereo at 7-48 kbps with bandwidth up to 19,200 Hz; outperformed MPEG-4 AAC and HE-AAC in third-party tests.
• EVS (Enhanced Voice Services) Codec Successor to AMR-WB standardized by 3GPP in 2014, supporting narrowband, wideband, super-wideband, and full-band operation at bit rates from 7.2 to 128 kbps; marketed as 'HD Voice Plus' and 'Ultra HD Voice' and includes an AMR-WB interoperable mode.
• EVRC Codec Family (EVRC-A through EVRC-E) Enhanced Variable Rate Codec family (EVRC-A, EVRC-B, EVRC-C/EVRC-WB, EVRC-D, EVRC-E) for CDMA and VoIP networks, operating at multiple capacity operating points (full rate 8.5 kbps, half rate 4 kbps, quarter rate 2 kbps, eighth rate 800 bps) with wideband and narrowband capabilities at 16 kHz sampling.
• MPEG-4 CELP Codec MPEG-4 speech codec standardized as ISO/IEC 14496-3, operating in narrowband (8 kHz, 4-12 kbps) or wideband (16 kHz, 11-24 kbps) modes with scalable coding support; used in Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM).
• MPEG-H 3D Audio Codec MPEG-H 3D audio codec defined in ISO/IEC 23008-3 for immersive audio, supporting channel-based, object-based, and scene-based (ambisonics) audio for home theater, 22.2 loudspeaker systems, automotive entertainment, and headphone playback.
• G.729.1 Codec G.729-based Embedded Variable bit-rate coder (8-32 kbps) interoperable with legacy G.729; provides narrowband (50-4000 Hz) at 8-12 kbps and wideband (50-7000 Hz) from 14-32 kbps with 20 ms frames and 48.94 ms algorithmic delay.
• G.711.1 Codec Wideband embedded extension for G.711 PCM operating at 64, 80, and 96 kbps, encoding 50-7000 Hz at 80-96 kbps and 50-4000 Hz at 64-80 kbps; compatible with G.711 for efficient VoIP deployment.
• SMV (Selectable Mode Vocoder) IS-893 Selectable Mode Vocoder for cdma2000 networks using variable bit rates and multi-mode operation, including modes for encoding rates no higher than 4 kbps; used in CDMA networks and VoIP applications.
• VMR-WB Codec Variable Rate Multi-Mode Wideband codec standardized by 3GPP2 for cdma2000 wideband telephony and multimedia streaming, designed by Nokia and VoiceAge based on AMR-WB/G.722.2 with interoperability mode.
• USAC (Unified Speech and Audio Coding) MPEG codec defined in ISO/IEC 23003-3 combining MDCT transform coding with ACELP speech coder elements for equal quality on both speech and audio content, supporting single and multi-channel coding at high bit rates with efficient low bit rate operation.
• xHE-AAC (Extended High-Efficiency AAC) MPEG profile of USAC (ISO/IEC 23003-3) containing all tools of High Efficiency AAC v2 Profile, employing MDCT transform coding combined with ACELP for efficient audio/speech coding; designed for broadcast scenarios, mobile TV, digital radio, podcasts, and audio books.
• Patent Licensing Program Licensing of VoiceAge's portfolio of more than 800 patents and applications in wideband speech and audio compression to manufacturers, service providers, and content companies implementing standard-compliant codecs; handled through direct contact with the VoiceAge licensing team.
• Codec Solutions (Custom Adaptation and Optimization) Custom codec solutions adapting existing codecs to specific environments, optimizing codecs for particular processors, and developing proprietary codec implementations built on VoiceAge's ACELP technology platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Deployed in over 1 billion mobile phones - 93% of digital cellular phones worldwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Sipro Lab TelecomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three main strategic investors along with Nokia and Université de Sherbrooke. Sipro Lab Telecom is the founding member that commercialized ACELP technology. Founded in 1994 as exclusive commercial agent for ACELP technology.
• Université de SherbrookecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three main strategic investors. Origin of ACELP technology research. Founded in 1999 to expand strategic positioning of ACELP technology. Technology originated from research at the university in the 1980s.
• NokiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three main strategic investors. Strategic partner in VMR-WB codec development (designed by Nokia and VoiceAge). Joint developer of AMR-WB+ with Ericsson and VoiceAge.
• EricssonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint developer with Nokia and VoiceAge of AMR-WB+ (Extended Adaptive Multi-Rate Wideband) speech and audio codec, the 3GPP-recommended hi-fi audio codec for MMS, PSS and MBMS services.
• 3GPPcoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor contributor to 3GPP standards including AMR-WB, AMR-WB+, and EVS codecs. Active contributor to 3GPP IVAS (Immersive Voice and Audio Services) codec development.
• ITU (International Telecommunication Union)coreTechnology or IntegrationACELP technology adopted at ITU for teleconferencing and voice-over-packet applications. G.722.2, G.729, G.723.1, G.711.1, G.729.1, G.718 standards adopted.
• ISO/MPEGcoreTechnology or IntegrationACELP technology adopted at ISO/MPEG for MPEG-4 CELP Audio and MPEG-H audio coding. USAC (Unified Speech and Audio Coding) defined in ISO/IEC 23003-3.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ericsson: Ericsson is a co-developer with VoiceAge and Nokia of AMR-WB+ and holds its own speech codec IP. While primarily a telecom equipment incumbent, its codec and standards participation make it an adjacent peer in 3GPP speech/audio IP.
• Cisco Systems: Cisco licenses speech and audio codec IP (including OPUS-based and proprietary wideband codecs) for its Webex, collaboration, and networking products. It is a broad incumbent in VoIP and unified communications that overlaps with VoiceAge's codec licensing activity.
• Nokia: Nokia is a strategic investor in VoiceAge and co-developed VMR-WB and AMR-WB+. As a major holder of mobile speech/audio patents and a telecom equipment incumbent, Nokia is both a partner and adjacent peer in codec IP.
• Dolby Laboratories: Dolby licenses a broad portfolio of audio codec and processing IP (Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos, AC-4) for cinema, broadcast, streaming, and consumer devices. It competes with VoiceAge in audio codec IP licensing but operates at a much larger scale across multiple verticals beyond telecom.
• Apple Inc. Apple is both a VoiceAge customer (QuickTime Player integration) and a holder of audio codec IP (ALAC, AAC, recent 3GPP contributions). As a large consumer technology incumbent with active standards participation, Apple is an adjacent peer in audio codec IP and licensing.
• Qualvox / Qualcomm (Audio and Voice IP): Qualcomm developed the EVRC family of speech codecs for CDMA and holds essential patents in 3GPP2/3GPP voice standards. It is a direct standards-level competitor to VoiceAge in speech codec IP for mobile networks and a much larger incumbent in mobile chipset IP.

Direct peers

• Huawei (speech/audio codec IP): Huawei holds essential patents in 3GPP speech/audio codec standards (AMR-WB, EVS) and contributes codec IP across handsets, infrastructure, and consumer devices. It is a direct competitor to VoiceAge in standards-essential speech codec IP.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS): Fraunhofer IIS is the most direct peer, holding essential patents for MP3, AAC, and xHE-AAC and licensing them across consumer electronics, broadcast, and streaming. Like VoiceAge, it monetizes a patent portfolio embedded in international audio standards (ISO/MPEG) and competes in the same audio codec IP licensing market.
• Xiph.Org Foundation (Opus codec): Xiph.Org develops the royalty-free Opus codec, which is the default for WebRTC, VoIP, and many 3GPP conversational services. Opus is the primary open-source substitute for VoiceAge's licensed ACELP-based codecs in OTT/VoIP applications, making Xiph.Org a direct competitor on the technology axis.
• Samsung (speech/audio codec IP): Samsung holds essential patents in 3GPP and MPEG audio codec standards and integrates codec IP across its handset, TV, and semiconductor businesses. It competes with VoiceAge as both a standards contributor and a major implementer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about VoiceAge Corporation